Police have received reports of a vehicle fire on Chapel Road at 8.10pm this evening.
Initial reports indicate a body may be in the vehicle.
Police and FENZ are at the scene and members of the public are asked to avoid the area while emergency services are there.
Cordons are in place at Chapel Road and Ormiston Road, and Stancombe Road and Chapel Road.
An investigation is underway into the incident and a scene examination will take place tomorrow.
This RNZ.co.nz story is republished with permission
Auckland will move to alert level 2 and the rest of New Zealand will move to level 1 at 6am on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.
Ardern announced the move while speaking to media after a Cabinet meeting to decide on alert level changes.
Watch the media conference live here:
This will be reconsidered with a plan to move Auckland down a level at the start of the next weekend if possible, she said.
“If you are sick, stay at home, don’t go to work or school and don’t socialise. Keep track of where you’ve been at all times.”
The restriction of 100 people at events will be in place.
Ardern said it was good news that there had been no new cases for five days in a row.
Ardern said the strategy of elimination was best for New Zealand but it did not make it easy.
“Covid has taken a toll on so many in so many ways, but it will get better.”
She said an elimination strategy was hard work and it was normal to feel fatigued, but New Zealand was not in the devastating position that much of the world found itself in.
No new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the community or in managed isolation today.
The Ministry of Health said there was still a strong demand for testing with more than 11,500 tests processed yesterday. Results from wastewater testing at three Auckland sites – including Papatoetoe – on Wednesday have all come back negative.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today that about 6000 people connected to the latest cluster have been contacted, with many of them followed up on a daily basis.
He said all outstanding Papatoetoe contacts have returned a negative test.
“It is possible we may still get positive results from people who remain in isolation and are still to get a day 12 tests. It’s important to note that these people are in isolation,” he said.
Dr Bloomfield said under a new Section 70 order, any person who attended City Fitness Hunters Plaza on 20 February between 11.15am and 1.45pm, or 26 February between 3.25pm and 4.30pm, as well as anyone who is a close, close-plus or casual contacts is required to:
* Isolate at your usual home
* Report for testing at a specified time
* Accept testing and isolate until you are told officially that you no longer need to
This RNZ.co.nz story is republished with permission
New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker has split with trainer Kevin Barry.
The pair have parted ways by mutual consent.
Both men agreed to the decision after Parker’s points victory over Junior Fa in Auckland on Saturday night.
“Without Kevin I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Parker said.
“Together we made it to the very top. Kevin was with me every step of the way, guiding my progress inside and outside of the ring. So it is with genuine sadness that I confirm our partnership has come to an end.
“But the time just feels right. It’s fitting that we closed this chapter of my career with a win in front of a great home crowd in Auckland, and with bigger things just on the horizon.
“I know Kevin will always be in my corner.”
Parker’s tactics and form were heavily criticised following the less than impressive win.
Many fans on social media had been calling for the pair to part ways for some time, and after the Fa fight, both supporters and pundits further questioned whether Barry could take the former WBO champion and further in his career.
The pair have been together for eight years.
“It has been an amazing journey with Joseph and Team Parker. But all journeys must come to an end, and the time is right for myself and Joseph to go in our own directions,” Barry said.
“I have been in New Zealand for five months now, away from my family and my other fighters. I have three guys fighting for world titles this year and have responsibilities with them and a few new guys.
“It’s not possible for me to stay in New Zealand any longer. For Joe, he has a wife and three young girls in New Zealand, and he wishes to spend more time here.
“I totally understand this and will always be in his corner and support him. We have always had a very close bond and I want nothing but the best for him. We have achieved so much together. It has been one heck of an amazing journey.”
In December 2016, Parker became New Zealand’s first ever World Heavyweight Champion, defeating Andy Ruiz Junior in Auckland to claim the vacant WBO World Heavyweight Championship.
Parker and Barry managed to secure a unification bout with Briton Anthony Joshua in Cardiff in March 2018.
He would lose that fight and also suffer a defeat to British fighter Dillian Whyte in July the same year, raising questions at the time over his future in the division.
His wins since haven’t been of note and he’s lacked the knockout finish that fans craved and pundits believed necessary for him to secure bigger fights against the likes of Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder or even a rematch with Whyte.
Fans on social media have largely reacted positively to the news of Parker’s and Barry’s split, however many have said the decision has come too late to resurrect the New Zealander’s career.
Parker could next fight Britain’s Derek Chisora, though the bout, expected to be held in London in May, has yet to be confirmed.
New Zealand boxing commentator Mike Angove said the pandemic will be complicating Parker’s next move.
“Look it’s tricky times it depends on where Joe wants to base himself obviously we’re in the midst of covid and he has three daughters here in New Zealand,” he said, “There’s probably limited teams and coaches that operate at an absolutely world class level. I assume that this is a decision which has been undertaken over a longer period of time so I’m certain he will have spoken to David Higgins and they will have been reviewing names of coaches especially here in New Zealand or potentially overseas.”
“One thing is for sure he doesn’t want to be taking a short notice fight in the next couple of months when he is just developing and working on a relationship with a new coach.
“I don’t think it’s wise to take on a short notice fight in two or three months if you’ve just changed coaching team because there may be new approaches to technical things but also there may be changes in conditioning, there’s a relationship that needs to develop and there may be some skill based work that you want to embed.
“I know there’s been talk of Derek Chisora in May, personally I think that would be a very quick turnaround although I think it’s a very winnable fight for Joe. I think you’ve got to be cautious in your first fight under a new coaching team.
“I don’t think you’ll see a stylistic change, what you would potentially see is enhancement of what he’s already has and obviously that also depends on how Joe responds to a new environment, a new coach and a slightly new approach.”
“There’s no question he needs a world class coach or a world class team people who are capable of developing his skills, developing his trust and who understand what it takes to take the next step at the pinnacle of the game.
“I think Kevin Barry should be given due credit for the job he’s done with Joe to this point he’s taken him from a very raw teenager to a world title, there’s not many people that can do that, that can develop an athlete from young and take them right up to World Championship level and sustain that over a number of years,” Angove said.
Civil Defence are providing an update on the tsunami threat and earthquakes that struck New Zealand this morning.
Kiri Allan is now speaking and GNS seismologist Bill Fry will also be at the conference.
Watch the media conference – scheduled to start at 11.30, but now delayed for five minutes – here:
Multiple tsunami warnings have been issued by Civil Defence this morning after a 8.1 magnitude quake near the Kermadec Islands.
The quake was at a depth of 10km.
It is the third earthquake this morning following a 7.4 quake near the Kermadec Islands earlier, and a 7.1 quake off New Zealand’s east coast.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is warning of flooding of coastal land in the West Coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Ahipara, and the East Coast of the North Island from Cape Reinga to Whangārei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay including Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki and Great Barrier Island.
It is telling people near the coast from the Bay of Islands to Whangārei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay, and Great Barrier Island must move immediately to nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible.
The National Crisis Management Centre – or Beehive bunker – has been stood up in response to multiple major earthquakes and tsunami warnings.
NEMA is leading the response and coordinating with local Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups.
The Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination – a high level committee brought together to respond to serious security events has not been stood up at this stage – but is ready in case it needs to.
Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan and National Controller Roger Ball are providing the update at Parliament.
This RNZ news is republished with permission
A tsunami warning has been issued for NZ’s coastal areas after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the North Island.
Civil Defence says people near the coast who felt a long or strong quake should move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones or as far inland as possible.
Nearly 60,000 people have reported feeling the quake on GeoNet.
It struck at 2.27am, 100km east of Te Araroa.
GeoNet has described the quake as being severe.
The 7.2m quake struck at 2.27am, 100km east of Te Araroa. Photo: GeoNet
Civil Defence says people near the coast who felt a long or strong quake should move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones or as far inland as possible.
Nearly 60,000 people have reported feeling the quake on GeoNet.
It struck at 2.27am, 100km east of Te Araroa.
GeoNet has described the quake as being severe.
The National Emergency Management Agency is assessing the quake to determine if there is a tsunami risk to New Zealand.
It says people in coastal areas should:
By 3am, nearly 60,000 people reported feeling the quake on GeoNet’s website.
Many of them have taken to social media to describe the jolt.
More to come…
Neiafu Town Officer Vava Lapota claimed he has lodged a number of complaints with Health Authority over what he has described as poor conditions of a restaurant in Vava’u but he hadn’t heard back.
Lapota said his complaints included the restaurant allegedly operating without a proper drainage system its waste water collected through their sinks.
He also complained that the waste water was collected before it was allegedly dumped into the seas.
He said there were concerns whether the restaurant followed the standard of sanitation required by the laws.
The restaurant and the Neiafu Health authority could not be reached for comment.
The Town Officer said he also complained to senior officers who visited Vava’u from Nuku’alofa recently about the conditions of the restaurant.
Lapota shared photos of the situations with Kaniva News.
He said he was worried about the health and safety of the people in Vava’u who were using the restaurant’s services.
Silence still surrounds allegations that MP Māteni Tapueluelu has confronted his brother-in-law MP Siaosi Pōhiva during a PTOA Party meeting in Tongatapu last week.
It has also been reported that Siaosi has made an internal complaint about the confrontation.
On Tuesday night, Siaosi who is the Party’s secretary did not attend another Party meeting held at MP Tapueluelu’s Tongatapu 4 constituency.
When contacted by Kaniva News on Tuesday Tapueluelu did not deny the allegations. He told us he was willing to comment, but he was preparing to go to the Party meeting at Popua.
“I am happy to do so but [I am running out of time] for now,” he said.
He said he would make his comment later.
PTOA Core Team Leaders MP Sēmisi Sika and MP Siaosi were contacted for comment.
Previous row
This was the latest twist in months between the two bothers-in-law.
As Kaniva News reported in April last year, Tapueluelu accused MP Siaosi and other Party supporters of wrongly advising the late Prime Minister, ‘Akilisi Pōhiva, not to resign in April 2019 five months before he died.
Tapueluelu said if ‘Akilisi’s resignation had happened according to plan, he would have been able to assist a smooth transition of power and make sure the party still won the following premiership election. The Party was defeated after the 2019 premiership election.
Tapueluelu also accused Siaosi of engaging with people who were not Party MPs in power struggle which led to the demise of the party before the 2019 premiership election.
Siaosi told Kaniva News in a previous interview when questioned about Tapueluelu’s behaviours towards him he said he “was unmoved by it”.
That row between Tapueluelu and Siaosi led Party Leader Sika to call a meeting last year in an attempt to put an end to it.
As we reported at the time, those who attended that meeting had a head to head battle before they forgave each other.
Sika said at the time after the meeting the party’s core team had decided to accept the move by its members to restore their friendly relationships and stood together.
Eight months to go
Last week’s confrontation between the brothers-in-law appears to show one of them was still holding a grudge against the other.
Meanwhile, leaders of Tonga, New Zealand, Australia and US PTOA Movements split into two group of supporters with each either supporting Siaosi or Tapueluelu.
They both accused against each other of being power hungry.
With eight months to go before the November general elections the ongoing feuds within the PTOA party needed to be addressed immediately if they wanted to be in a better position to compete with the government’s backed PAK Party.
‘Epeli Taione who was charged with possession of Class A drugs received a 12-month suspended imprisonment sentence on Friday last week February 26.
His co-accused Creed Tongamoa received 15-month sentence and it was also fully suspended for two years with conditions.
Taione, who is Princess Pilolevu’s son-in-law, was convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
The sentence was fully suspended on the conditions that he must not commit any further offences punishable by imprisonment for a period of 1 year.
He must be placed on probation during the period of his suspension.
He must also complete rehabilitation courses on drugs and alcohol as directed by the Probation Office.
In sentencing Taione, Justice Langi said the Crown submitted an overall sentence of six months’ imprisonment for possession of 0.01 grams of cocaine.
She said the court has consistently set a starting point of 12 months’ imprisonment for possession of a Class A illicit drug below 1 gram.
Justice Langi said: “I therefore set a starting point in this case of 12 months’ imprisonment. I deduct 6 months from the starting in light of the fact that up until now he has had a clean record.”
She said she noted that the probation officer is of the opinion that no rehabilitation courses should be ordered because Taione has denied using it and therefore does not have a drug problem.
Miss Langi said: “This is inconsistent with the evidence upon which I had convicted the Accused and inconsistent with his text message that he is sniffing at Creeds. It is disappointing that the Accused continues to maintain his innocence and maintains that he has no drug problem as this sort of behaviour is a sure recipe for re-off ending. Because of the infinitesimally small amount of cocaine in this case, I do not believe that an order for community service is appropriate”.
In sentencing Tongamoa, the judge suspended his sentence in full upon conditions.
The sentence was fully suspended for two years on the conditions that Tongamoa must not commit any further offences punishable by imprisonment during the period of his suspension.
Tongamoa must be put on probation and also must complete rehabilitation courses on drugs and alcohol as directed by the Probation Office
A man took the PTOA leaders to task for losing the premiership election in 2019 saying Popua and Pātangata villages had been disadvantaged by the loss.
He said plans designed to repair and fill their roads did not go as planned after the new government took over.
The man, whose name was not introduced before he took the microphone in a hall in Popua last night, accused the Party MPs of being power-hungry and causing chaos within the party
He wanted answers during the meeting as to why the Party was defeated after all the only thing for them to do was to nominate a Prime Minister to allow them to continue on running the government.
“How come did it happen?” the man emotionally asked the meeting who was attended by the Party Leader Semisi Sika, Tongatapu 4 MP Mateni Tapueluelu and some of the Party’s MPs as well as the supporters of the Party from the villages.
He said after Democratic Leader Akilisi died members of the Party “began vying for the premiership”.
The man said the Party leaders made who was going to be our next Prime Minister a focus of attention and forgot their duty to protect the power they were holding to continue on running the government.
He said the current Prime Minister was elected to Parliament because he ran as a candidate for the PTOA Party.
“Why didn’t you vote for him to become the Prime Minister because after all you will all become his Cabinet ministers?” the man asked. .
Another woman echoed the man’s concerns during the meeting and demanded answers from the Party.
The number of attendants as well as reactions in support of MP Tapueluelu last night was huge.
Tongatapu 4 MP response
The Tongatapu 4 MP Mateni Tapueluelu responded with an account of what he claimed was what was discussed in a meeting between him and late ‘Akilisi in which the then leader revealed to him his plan to resign as Prime Minister before he died.
Tapueluelu, who was at one stage seen visibly tearful, said he then sought advice from the then Acting Attorney General ‘Aminiasi Kefu.
He said the legal process for ‘Akilisi to follow before he could resign was documented and he handed it to ‘Akilisi in April 2019 and that was the end of it. ‘Akilisi did not resign. He died in New Zealand on September 2019.
As Kaniva News reported last year, Tapueluelu claimed people who were very close to ‘Akilisi at the time but were not Members of Parliament or Party members gave the late leader of the democrats wrong advice to stay in the premiership until his death.
Tapueluelu said if ‘Akilisi’s resignation had happened according to plan, the veteran democratic pioneer would have been able to assist a smooth transition of power and make sure the party still won the following premiership election.
Tapueluelu, in his response during the meeting last night, did not mention anything about claims his move to challenge Tu’i’onetoa’s being nominated by the PTOA to be the Deputy Prime Minister before the 2019 premiership election triggered a row which many believed it opened an opportunity for the noble MPs to approach some of the PTOA MPs urging them to join them in setting up a new party.
The People’s Party was then set up with strong memberships which included five PTOA MPs. They also won the premiership election of 2019.
Sika’s response
Party Leader Semisi Sika told the meeting last night he called a meeting after ‘Akilisi’s funeral and burial services and they agreed that Sika would be their next Prime Minister.
But in a followed up meeting it became clear to him some of the Party MPs had different plans about the premiership election candidates.
He said in one of their meeting the name of Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, the current Prime Minister and the then Party’s Minister of Finance was nominated as the candidate for the premiership.
Sika said at one stage he told the Party to remove his name from the list as long as they were still standing together to win the premiership election.
Another version of why PTOA lost the election
As Kaniva News reported last year, Former PTOA Cabinet Minister Dr Tu’i Uata alleged that MP Tapueluelu wanted to become Deputy Prime Minister before the 2019 premiership election, even though the Party decided that that position must be given to Dr Tu’i’onetoa, the current Prime Minister.
Dr Uata claimed Tapueluelu’s persistence to have the post had enraged Dr Tu’i’onetoa who was already satisfied with being nominated as Deputy Prime Minister.
He said Hon. Tu’i’onetoa advised them in a meeting after the death of ‘Akilisi to stand together to make sure they won the next premiership election to fulfill their late leader ‘Akilisi’s four-year term.
Dr Uata also said Dr Tu’i’onetoa scolded Hon Tapueluelu during that meeting, accusing him of being bad-mouthed and two-faced.
Dr Tu’i’onetoa finally left the Party before he reportedly approached by the Nobles to form the People’s Party, for which he won the Premiership.
Dr Uata alleged a last-ditch effort to bring back Hon Tu’i’onetoa to the Party before the premiership election failed because Hon Tapueluelu refused to join them in a reconciliation meeting planned to be held with Hon Tu’i’onetoa.
At the time Kaniva News contacted Tapueluelu for comment.
Tu’i’onetoa supports Dr Uata
Hon Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva News at the time Dr Tu’i Uata was correct when he said Tu’i’onetoa told members in the first PTOA meeting after ‘Akilisi’s death to stand together and leave everything as it was so they could win the premiership election and complete ‘Akilisi’s terms.
He said he did this because he respected ‘Akilisi.
“I told them let’s not rock the boat,” PM Tu’i’onetoa said.
“Let’s create a constitution for us to follow so that we are organised.”
Hon Tu’i’onetoa said they did not believe in him so he told them he quit.
He said he told them he has been through the same failed scenario before and he did not want to go through it again.
He said he told the Party before he left they would row about who would have the power and would end up in disarray.
This RNZ.co.nz story is republished with permission
Former All Black Charles Piutau’s long-held dream of representing Tonga could finally become reality at the upcoming Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with dual eligibility can switch their international allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they had a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
Piutau played the last of his 17 tests for the All Blacks in 2015 and first stated four years ago that he would love to represent his Tongan heritage.
Tonga sevens coach, Tevita Tu’ifua, said after a couple of false starts the signs are promising that a number of former All Blacks and Wallabies stars could pull on the red jersey in June.
“That’s a dream for me, to be able to have that opportunity to be given to those guys who have been playing for the All Blacks or the Wallabies that are based over in Europe, to have the opportunity if they change their mind to make themselves available for the ‘Ikale Tahi, this is the opportunity for them.”
Tonga have had previous success using the Olympic loophole, with Cooper Vuna, Atieli Pakalani and Nafi Tuitivake all switching their allegiance from Australia and New Zealand via the sevens route.
A former Tonga Under 20 representative, Piutau had been set to debut for Tonga at the Oceania Sevens in Fiji two years ago. The Bristol Bears fullback completed all his paperwork but didn’t receive the green light to take the field until a few days before the tournament kicked off.
“It was very short notice that we received a reply from World Rugby – it was on the second day of the tournament week we got the green light from World Rugby,” explained Tonga sevens coach Tevita Tu’ifua.
“So Charles was just too late to come from Europe to Fiji, as you have to play 50 percent of the tournament. This opportunity for this tournament is an opportunity for Charles and even Malakai Fekitoa and the like. There’s quite a few of them that are based up there.”
Former New Zealand sevens player Sam Vaka made it onto the field in Suva and Tu’ifua and hoped European-based stars like Piutau and Fekitoa could follow in his footsteps.
“He arrived in Fiji on the second day of the tournament. He played in more than 50 percent of our games so now he’s eligible so it’s just a dream and I hope that the players we are working on we will be able to change their mind have the opportunity to take it on and to represent our country.”
Players switching their allegience only need to feature in half of a team’s matches at the Olympic qualifying event, and would then be eligible to play for the ‘Ikale Tahi 15-a-side team.
Tevita Tu’ifua played 15 tests for Tonga, representing the kingdom at the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups. The former national sevens star said if a few high profile players can switch their allegiance to Tonga it could lead to a seismic shift in international rugby.
“It will be massive for Tonga: for the people and also for the rugby itself and that’s why I think (former ‘Ikale Tahi coach) Toutai Kefu started the pushing through of the players in the list we are working on,” he said.
“And still behind the scenes Toutai is still pushing through and communicating with the players and hopefully we will get a few numbers and be able to give them the opportunity.”
